"River North’s Hubbard Street strip is an epicenter of Chicago nightlife, but it wasn’t that way as recently as 15 years ago. That’s when burgeoning nightclub impresario Billy Dec and his partners opened this restaurant, bar, and late-night magnet, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in a nighttime business boom in the area as well as spawning a powerhouse hospitality group, Rockit Ranch. But in the last couple of years the group splintered: multiple spots closed, Dec split for Nashville and focused on a movie career and other endeavors, and the original Rockit became the sole property of partner Brad Young, who after a second renovation, reopened it with a focus on what made it popular to begin with. Alas the reborn Rockit Bar & Grill didn’t work out, as the River North revolutionary closed for good in July after 15 years, and less than one year after reopening from its final revamp." - Daniel Gerzina
